ArmInfo. "We stand for mutual recognition of samples in the markets of the five member countries of the Eurasian Union," said the director of the Yerevan Jewelry Factory No. 1 Gnomon, chairman of the Union of Jewelers of Armenia Emil Grigoryan, answering the question of ArmInfo correspondent during the September 19 press conference.
He explained that the state structure is responsible for establishing samples and stigmatizing gold products in Russia, while in Armenia it is produced by the private sector. "Russian partners often allow themselves to express an opinion that in Armenia every citizen can be involved in this process, which is completely contrary to reality," Grigoryan stressed. He explained that before getting this right, a legal entity or an entrepreneur in the required order passes an examination that contains over 300 questions of a special commission of the RA Ministry of Economic Development and Investments. However, in Russia, the chairman of the Union stated, in this business they trust the state sector.
Very often, Russian partners, he said, are asked not to put a brand on the product, reflecting the brand of the manufacturer, leaving only the state stigma (in Armenia on gold items there should be a stigma with the image of the hero of the national epic Sasuntsi David) and the type of sample. The Russian side, as he further explained, is proposing to put on the product of Armenian jewelers its brand as well. <But for us the brand is very important, since it displays the face of the manufacturer, and in the opposite case we lose authorship. And our jewelers direct a lot of resources, both financial and technical, to create this brand," he stressed.
In this regard, he reported on the upcoming participation of Armenian jewelers in a major exhibition, which will be held at the end of this year in Moscow. "We are not allowed to sell our production during the exhibition, in view of the absence of Russian samples," the expert said. This issue is currently occupied by state universities, in particular, RA Ministry of Finance, RA Ministry of Economic Development and Investment, he said. "Serious discussions are held with the leadership of the Eurasian Commission and the relevant departments to find a common system of solutions," he said.
Answering the question of ArmInfo, E. Grigoryan noted that granting the right to the private sector to establish samples and to brand gold products is a correct and justified decision. First of all, according to him, this affected the sharp increase in production volumes, including the number of producers. <And secondly, given that the necessary raw materials, the machinery for manufacturing is imported - low tariffs (or absence) for stigmatization will allow the entrepreneur to have some benefit from the cost of the product>, he stressed. At the same time E. Grigoryan noted that gold products of Armenian jewelers today have a wide demand in the international arena, but are more in demand for the markets of the countries of the post-Soviet space.
According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, jewelry production in the first half of 2017 increased by 34.1% to 22.5 billion AMD, against growth of 2.7 times a year earlier.